How much artificial turf do I need?

How the math works

turf square feet = area × (1 + waste)

linear feet off the roll = turf square feet ÷ roll width

Rolls are commonly twelve or fifteen feet wide. A fifteen foot roll across a sixteen foot yard forces a second strip and a seam, and wastes most of that strip — so where you can, choose the roll width that fits your dimensions rather than the one that is on sale.

Fifteen percent waste is a starting point. Irregular shapes, multiple obstacles, or a yard whose width falls just past a roll width can push it higher.

What else the job needs

Turf sits on a compacted aggregate base, typically three to four inches of crushed stone screeded flat, which handles drainage and prevents settling. This is not optional on soil.

Infill is spread into the turf after installation to hold the blades upright and weigh the material down. Quantities are specified by the turf manufacturer and vary with pile height.

Seam tape and adhesive join strips. Seams are where amateur installations announce themselves.

Perimeter edging or a nailer board holds the outside edge. Use the perimeter figure from your measurement.

Background

Artificial turf has a nap — the blades lean one way — and every piece on a job has to lean the same way or the seams show as obvious stripes. That constraint is what drives turf waste well above the ten percent that is normal elsewhere.